General Tso Tofu

Last weekend, I had to get to the top shelf of my pantry for a bag of coffee, and found the remains of a chili pepper pack I was sent by Marx Foods. I had ground up the chipotles, ancho and New Mexico chilies for various dishes. However, I still had the Japones chilies to use. I read that they're best in spicy Asian dishes, so General Tso's Chicken came to mind (my husband's favorite Asian dish). I decided to compromise our taste, and make General Tso's Tofu, using both the Tofu Xpress and Chilie peppers. 

I looked up a few recipes to get a general idea, but ended up just winging it when I made the dish. I served it with wheat berries because I had some prepared in the freezer, and it was much less effort than making brown rice. I also just steamed some mixed vegetables on the side.

This dish was very spicy and flavorful, and only took about 15 minutes to prepare! 

General Tso's Tofu

1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed in 1" pieces

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 1/2 c. prepared brown rice or farro/wheat berries

1 head of broccoli, cut in florets

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed

1 15 oz. can of baby corn in segments

sauce:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 scallion, minced

1/4 c. tamari

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. sherry

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. sriracha

1 heaping tsp. cornstarch.

10 Japones chilies

Place tofu in a press, set aside for 5 minutes.

Heat up rice, place in bowl.

Place vegetables in a steamer over 1" of water, bring to a boil and steam vegetables for 5-8 minutes, until tender but not mushy.

In a small dish, whisk together all sauce ingredients except chilies.

Heat a wok over medium-high.

Add 1 tsp. sesame oil and tofu, toss to sear the outside. 

Whisk sauce mixture again (make sure to get cornstarch if it settles to the bottom), pour over tofu, toss in chilies.

Use a spatula to gently mix tofu and sauce, bring to a simmer and turn to low heat.

Simmer for 2 minutes, until mixture is translucent and no longer milky.

Spoon vegetables into bowl, spoon tofu and sauce mixture over top.

Serve immediately.

Spicy Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry

The last time I was at PF Changs prior to going vegetarian again, I had the Chicken and Eggplant, which is ground chicken and eggplant stir-fried in a scallion and soy chili sauce. I absolutely loved the dish, it was spicy and flavorful, and had eggplant, one of my favorite vegetables. I haven't been back and asked if I could sub tofu for the chicken, but I did decide to try making it at home. I created a soy chili sauce that I thought was very, very close to PF Changs version. I also served this over rice noodles rather than brown rice because I hate how long it takes to cook rice, and I love noodles! 

Also, PF Changs eggplant is all peeled, I leave mine in stripes because I like a little skin, but too much makes the dish chewy.

Spicy Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 large eggplant, slightly peeled and diced in 1" chunks (about 2 lbs.)

Kosher salt

1/4 c. tamari or dark, rich soy sauce

1/4 c. vegetable stock

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. sherry 

1 tbsp. sriracha

1 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

4 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 block of firm tofu, pressed and crumbled

4 oz. rice noodles, prepared

Scallions, for garnish

Heat a wok over medium, add sesame oil and eggplant, season with salt and stir fry for 5 minutes, until caramelized and slightly softened.

In a small dish, whisk together soy sauce, vegetable stock, sherry, sriracha, sugar, pepper, scallion, garlic and cornstarch.

Pour over eggplant, turn heat to low.

Mix eggplant with sauce, bring to a low simmer.

Add crumbled tofu, stir to incorporate.

Simmer mixture for another 5-8 minutes, until eggplant is tender.

If mixture gets too dry, add another splash of vegetable stock or soy sauce (in equal parts).

Place rice noodles in a dish, top with eggplant-tofu mixture, garnish with scallions and serve.

Ma Po Tofu

For dinner a few nights ago, I had a craving for Ma Po Tofu. I love to get it at PF Changs, but it's fried and not exactly healthy. I decided to try to recreate it at home without frying it. To get my tofu crisp and firm, I knew I'd have to bake it at a really high temperature for a while. I also made up the sauce recipe based on what I can taste in Ma Po Tofu - lots of garlic and heat. I served with this steamed broccoli and brown rice and it was so close in taste to PF Changs!

Baked Ma Po Tofu

1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and cubed in 1/2"
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. seasame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
5 scallion stalks, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. corn starch


Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, add tofu.
Bake for 20 minutes, flip and bake for another 10 minutes. (I used a thin metal spatula to first slide across the bottom and loosen the tofu, then i flipped them over).
Prep remaining ingredients while tofu cooks.
Add stock, soy sauce, honey and corn starch to a small bowl, whisk with a fork to dissolve corn starch.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
Remove tofu from the oven, set aside.
Add oils to wok, swirl around, add garlic, crushed red pepper and scallions.
Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add tofu and liquid, gently toss and heat through, sauce will thicken quickly, don't burn!
Remove from the heat, plate and serve immediately.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Last week I recieved an email from a reader who asked if I had any lo mein recipes. I haven't made traditional lo mein before, but after she asked, I was instantly craving it!
I looked through many recipes online, and found some with oyster sauce, some with hoisin, and all with a little soy sauce or mirin. I wasn't sure what would give me the most authentic lo mein, so I knew I might have to try a few recipes to perfect it.
I am pretty certain that hoisin isn't in traditional lo mein that you'd find at a Chinese take out restaurant, so I decided to try the oyster sauce.
While it was still a good dish, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Do you have a recipe for le mein that's just like take out? I'd love to try this again.


For this recipe, I added some vegetables I had on hand, but some other options are water chestnuts, bean sprouts, baby corn, carrots, and bok choy. I used udon noodles because I couldn't find fresh lo mein noodles.

Vegetable Lo Mein

6 oz. udon noodles

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

6 oz. snap peas, sliced

4 scallions, chopped

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 block of firm tofu, cubed

Cook udon noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
Add EVOO, sesame oil, red pepper, snap peas, tofu and crushed red pepper.
Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, be careful not to burn anything.
Add noodles, scallions, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Toss to combine and distribute sauces, plate and serve.

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung pao chicken is one of my favorite dishes to get when we order Chinese take out. The dish itself was actually considered politically incorrect as it was named after the late Qing Dynasty. It was said to have been enjoyed by the governor Ding Baozhen, whose official title was Gung Bao.
I served the Kung Pao chicken with steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice.

Kung Pao Chicken

gong bao ji ding

2 boneless chicken breasts

3 cloves garlic

1" ginger root, grated

5 scallions

2 tbsp. peanut oil

handful of dried red chilies

1 tsp. Sichuan pepper

1/2 c. roasted unsalted peanuts

marinade:

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. light soy sauce

1 tsp. sherry

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. water

sauce:

3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
1 tsp. light soy sauce
3 tsp. Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. chicken stock


Cut the chicken into small 1/2" cubes
Place in a small bowl, mix with marinade
Peel and slice the garlic, chop scallions into chunks
Snip the chilies into into 2" sections
Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl
Heat the wok over high, add peanut oil, chilies and sichuan pepper for 15 seconds, add the chicken and stir fry
As chicken begins to cook, add garlic, ginger and scallions
Stir the sauce and add it to the wok, continue to toss and stir the chicken so it doesn't burn
When the sauce is thick and shiny and chicken is cooked, stir in peanuts
Serve over rice with stir fried vegetables

Haricots Verts in Ginger Sauce

I love ginger and green beans, so I knew this recipe would be great along side my dan dan noodles. They're very clean and fresh tasting.

Haricots Verts in Ginger Sauce

jiang zhi jiang dou

salt

1 lb. haricots verts

4 tsp. grated ginger

3 tbsp. chicken stock

2 tsp. Chinese black vinegar

4 tsp. sesame oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously.

Drop in green beans, boil for 3 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water.

Let the beans dry and cool in the colander while preparing the sauce.

Combine the ginger with stock, vinegar and sesame oil. Whisk to combine.

Plate the beans, pour the sauce over top.

Serve.

Dan Dan Noodles

The first time I ever had Dan Dan Noodles was at PF Changs. They were so good, I planned on making them at home, but soon forgot. When I saw Dan Dan Noodles in this cookbook, I put it on the menu! The author says they are the most popular street food in Sichuan.

Dan Dan Noodles

(dan dan mian)

8 oz. dried Chinese noodles

1 tbsp. peanut oil

4 tbsp. Sichuanese ya cai*

3 scallions, green part

1 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

2-3 tbsp. chili oil

1 1/2 tsp. black Chinese vinegar

4 oz. ground pork

1 tsp. dry Sherry

2 tsp. light soy sauce

Heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a wok over high. Add the ya cai and stir fry for 30 seconds. Set aside. Add more peanut oil to the wok, add ground pork and stir fry. As the meat separates, splash in the Sherry. Add soy sauce. Remove from the heat.

Slice the scallions finely.

Put the ya cai and pork in a bowl and mix.

Cook the noodles, drain and add to the meat mixture.

Toss and serve.

*Ya cai is a dark, salty pickle made from leaves of a mustard green. They are sealed in jars and left to mature for months. The Tianjin preserved vegetable is sold in Chinese supermarkets, and is an acceptable substitute (This is what I used, found in an Asian market)

Country Challenge - Sichuan (province of China)

Like many other countries, the regional cooking of China is so different that I gave Sichuan its own week. Szechuan cuisine is probably the most popular kind of Chinese food consumed in America. When I decided to cook from China this week, I found one cookbook that caught my eye. The author is a British woman who studied at a culinary school in Sichuan, and proceeded to travel all around the region collecting recipes from locals.

The flavors of this cuisine are so distinct. They're spicy, sweet, extremely hot, and rich. The cooking is mostly preformed with one knife, a large cleaver! It is said that China is the place for food, but Sichuan is the place for flavor.

Some say the Sichuan flavor is so distinct from other regions of China because of the geographical location. It is a fertile basin surrounded by mountains. Because of this, it is known as the land of plenty. Some local produce include: mandarin oranges, apples, pears, lychees, bamboo, celery, eggplants, spinach, gourds and melons.

Even salt and pepper are better there! The Sichuan pepper is what truly defines the cuisine. It is very distinct, a brown color with wood and citrus flavors. It is said to give the toungue pins and needles. Sichuanese salt is celebrated because it is extracted from deep salt mines, then heated and ground to taste purer than other salts.

I highly recommend checking this cookbook out. There are so many amazingly delicious recipes, and you'll be shocked at what you can make at home!

I will say though, I went to a local asian market and asked the woman who worked there for help locating the ingredients. I brought the book with me, and showed her what I needed. As small as Bloomington is, it's very cultural and I had no trouble locating a few obscure ingredients!

Recipes taken from:

Land of Plenty, Authentic Sichuan recipes personally gathered in the Chinese province of Sichuan, Fuchsia Dunlop. Norton & Company, New York, 2001.